鍛治司 inscription: kanuchi tsukasa?

[Robert Janssen]

Hey guys,

 

I have this kogatana that came with a koshirae set. Morita-san graciously translated the inscription as: 泉州 堺 鍛治司 造 之 (senshû sakai kajishi tsukuru kore).

 

I researched this inscription and arrived at: ... in Sakai city in Senshû (Izumi) province made this.

 

鍛治司 gave me some issues. This can be read as kajishi, but also kanuchi tsukasa. Kanuchi tsukasa translating to “Smith’s office”, with some references adding a note as to the imperial smith’s office with this name circa 7th to 10th century in the Ritsuryō system of ancient Japan. Also to note that kanuchi was most of the time written with 冶 instead of 治. 鍛治 is aparently an archaic form of kanuchi?

I have found similar inscriptions like these on kogatana on the web, however they were written with saku instead of tsukuru, which isn’t quite the same...

 

So anyway: any ideas what this inscription means? Were these kogatana “mass produced” by the smiths office of Sakai, or was there indeed something imperial involved? Sakai was a big city back in the days with it’s important port and knife/sword/gun making industry. Has anyone come across one of these before?

 

Greets,

Robby

[Robert Janssen]

Doesn't seem like a lot of info is available on this and kogatana in general... 2 books in Japanese and 2 NCJSC bulletin articles it seems... (thanks Pete Klein for that info)

 

Kogatana by John Yumoto, 5pp, with charts!! newsletter #2 1977

 

Tosu and Kogatana, by John Yumoto, edited by Alan Harvie, september and October 1999

 

 

Another question: I posted this in Nihonto, but are kogatana considered Nihonto? Or are they more considered the same way we see (pocket)knives? Do they fall under the registration restrictions in Japan now?

 

thanks!

 

Robby

[Guido]

Under the administrative code of the ritsuryō 律令 system, the kajishi 鍛治司 was the "smithery bureau". But that's about Nara period, I don't know if it was used later on. Also, (no) tsukasa 司 was a court rank. FWIW ...

[Robert Janssen]

thanks Guido, any extra info is more than I have at the moment

 

Can you comment on the fact if kogatana are considered Nihonto?

 

I feel the need for another of Markus' great books/translations on the subject of kogatana...

[Brian]

No, kogatana do not have a mekugi ana and are under the length required for registration. They do not have to be registered and are not considered swords...more like pocket knives.

 

Brian

[kunitaro]

冶 and 治　are different.

 

so, I think,

 

泉州　Sen-shu (Izumi no kuni province/Southern part of Osaka)

 

堺鍛 Sakai Kaji (smith of Sakai city)

 

治司 Harushi(ji) Smith name

 

造之 Tsukuru/kore (kore wo tsukuru)/ Made by

 

Made by Haruji the smith of Sakai in Senshu...

[k morita]

Kunitaro san,

Ummmm,difficult problem.

I also considered your way when above my posting.

However, the smith's name(Harushi or Haruji /治司?) did not appear in the Meikan.

[NihontoEurope]

Kunitaro&Morita,

 

I think this time it should be Harumori.

 

/Martin

[Robert Janssen]

hmmm, interesting points made... I got some more stuff to look into know!

 

Martin: how do you come to the conclusion of "mori"? do you read a different kanji for that or do you read 治 as mori?

 

thanks,

 

Robby

[NihontoEurope]

Robby,

 

I didn't.

 

Please read my post again.

 

If you come to the same conclusion again I will further elaborate.

 

/Martin

[Robert Janssen]

Sorry Martin, I meant to say:

 

how do you come to the conclusion of "mori"(i meant instead of "shi")? do you read a different kanji for that or do you read 司 as mori?

 

I copied and pasted the kanji for haru instead of shi, my mistake!

 

the question still stands though, but with the right kanji this time

 

thanks!